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566. Chapter 566

After Child's Play

Episode 7.04

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Children, I do not own Mr. Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

"Mr. Castle, the school will not go for it." Captain Gates said sternly.

"But why not?" Castle grumped. "It's a perfect plan. We need to get someone in to talk to the kids and find the witness. Who better than me? I'm ninety percent child myself."

Captain Gates could think of literally hundreds of people she'd rather send into a classroom full of second graders other than Mr. Castle, but she didn't say that. "Mr. Castle, the school district won't let you go into the class because you're not a teacher. Nor are you a police officer. If you were a qualified, accredited teacher, or a sworn police officer, things would be different."

Castle was stymied for a moment. Then he had an idea. "Beckett can go with me. She's a police officer."

Kate's head shot up when she heard that idea. "Sir, I'm not a teacher and I really don't have much experience with young children. I think…" She caught Castle's glare. Not as good as hers, but it made her think. We do need to find the witness. If we don't find him and the killer does… "I think another officer might be better." She finished lamely.

Gates looked at her. "Who? Esposito? Detective Esposito is a fine officer, but don't you think he's a bit too…tough love for second graders?"

"Then there's Ryan…." Kate began.

"I think Mr. Castle's idea has merit, for once. I think that having a woman police officer go with Mr. Castle will be less intimidating than a male officer. I'll call the school back."

"But, sir…" Kate began, but Captain Gates was already dialing.

Later that night at the loft, Castle tried to reassure Kate that everything would work out. "You did just fine with little Bennie when we took care of him. Sure, we both had a rough start, but everything worked out fine."

She shook her head. "Castle, this is different. As several people have told me, a baby is a little machine for taking in milk at one end and putting out smelly poop at the other, all while crying over things you can't understand. This is different. These are little people that I'll have to interact with. I can't take them into Interrogation One and break them. It doesn't work that way. And if I screw this up, we might never catch the killer. Worse, something might happen to witness."

"And on the other hand?" Castle asked.

"On the other hand, what?"

"We have the best detective in the whole of the NYPD, the best in all of New York, maybe, no definitely the best in all the world. Who better to find the witness? Remember, you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take. So if you don't go to school with me tomorrow, no one goes. And then what are our chances of solving the case?"

Kate tried to glare at him, but found she couldn't. "Do you have to be so damned right about this?"

Castle just grinned.

The next day, Kate thought that Castle's idea for a story was excellent. While the children were at recess, they sat and read the stories the children had read. When Castle found one about a giant with a gun, he went out to talk to the boy.

After he had left, she saw a young girl peeking in the room at her from the doorway. She did her best to smile at the girl. "Hi. Did you want to see me?"

The girl nodded, but stayed where she was by the door.

"Would you like to come in and sit with me and talk?" Kate hoped she wasn't putting too much pressure on the girl, so she added. "Or not. Whatever you want to do. You're Sophie, aren't you?"

The girl nodded shyly and took a step into the room.

"Would it be better if I came to you, Sophie?"

The girl thought for a moment and shook her head, then walked over and sat down by Kate.

"Did you want to talk about something important?"

Sophie nodded.

"Something bad that happened?"

The girl nodded and looked up at Kate expectantly. "Yes."

"Did the bad thing scare you?"

"Sort of."

"Can you tell me about it?"

Sophie looked at Kate for a full minute. "When will I get boobs like yours?"

"What?" Kate was shocked. "Why would you ask that?"

"My mom had no boobs at all, and then one day she had great big ones. Dad said they were the best that money could buy. I don't want to have to buy boobs or have my dad buy me boobs. I want a kitten."

Kate put her arms around the girl and hugged her. "Sophie, no one is going to force you to buy boobs or buy them for you. And boobs are something that happens to grown-ups. You have a number of years to go before you have to worry about boobs." She turned and looked Sophie in the eye. "And I bet if you ask your dad really nicely, he'll let you get a kitten."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"I don't know your dad or your mom, but I know that you'll never get a kitten if you don't ask for one. That makes sense, doesn't it?"

Sophie nodded. "Do you think I could get a little black and white kitten?"

"You'll have to ask."

Sophie left with a smile on her face.

That night, Castle laughed when Kate told him the story.

"Don't laugh too hard, Writer Boy. Sophie might get a kitten, but you might just not get a pussy."

"I was laughing with you, Kate. Not at you."

"Just remember that."

The next day, after the problem with the Princess and the bully, Kate was actually sad that they had to leave. She felt that she had done well with the children. Between this and their experiences with Benny, she felt better able to deal with children.

She suddenly noticed that Jason was standing in front of her. "Yes, Jason?"

"Do you like Mr. Castle?"

She nodded.

"I don't. He's a jerk face."

Kate nodded again. "Sometimes he can be a jerk face, but sometimes he's very nice, and I do like him."

"I like you, not him." Jason said, then handed Kate a folded piece of paper and ran away.

She opened the paper up. It was a drawing of an ice cream van. "Castle, I think we have our witness."

The last time they saw Mrs. Ruiz's class was when they brought cupcakes to the class. It was there that Emily confronted Rick and Kate and discovered that Rick was already spoken for. She left unhappily.

Once back in Kate's unit, Castle spoke. "You have a new boyfriend."

"Me, you're the one who has a girlfriend. A princess at that. You cheated on me, jerk face."

"Frog breath." He shot back.

"And I do not have a boyfriend. He's more of a confidential informant."

Castle grinned. "Well, I do have a princess for a girlfriend. A Princess Kate."

"You have a fiancé, Princess Kate."

"I stand corrected, Your Highness."

"Just remember that, Prince Rick."